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Doctor James - Winner At Last!

posted by Peter James @ 6:26 AM   9 Comments

I'm delighted to say that after a recent string of awards for which I have been shortlisted but haven't won, today I am a winner at last! I am receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Brighton -- conferring on me the title Doctor Of Letters. The press release below gives you the full details.

This is undoubtedly the greatest honour of my life -- and it means all the more coming from the home university of the city I was born in, and write about and love so much. I shall be receiving it with extra special glee, as my past academic record has been -- well -- erm -- less than brilliant.... I left Charterhouse in a cloud of ignominy (and hashish smoke) having failed all my science 'O' Level exams -- Physics, Chemistry and Biology, only getting my maths 'O Level' at the third attempt, and just having scraped through with three 'A' Levels all with the lowest Grade you can have -- an 'E'. So I guess I am a living example of my hero Oscar Wilde's dictum, "Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." !!!!

I'm sad that neither of my parents are still alive to see this. My late father was a very wise man who once told me, when I was trying to make up my mind whether after Charterhouse to go to a tutorial college and try to swat up for Oxford University Entrance, or to go to film school, that of all the colleges in the world, none would teach you as much as the University of Life. I'll raise a glass to you on that today, Dad.


Here's the press release:
Bestselling crime writer Peter James is to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Brighton The award-winning writer and film producer, Peter James, is to become a Doctor of Letters in recognition of his ongoing contribution to the arts and to the status, infrastructure and culture of Brighton and Hove.

Peter, who lives near Lewes, East Sussex, will receive his doctorate from Deputy Vice-Chancellor, David House, on Thursday, July 30, during graduation ceremonies at the Brighton Dome.

Peter, who is 60, said: "I'm really thrilled to be honoured by the university. It has given me an incredible feeling, although I must confess I'm not sure if I deserve it. I was born in Brighton and this has enhanced an already strong bond and love I have for the city."

Peter's publishers Pan Macmillan has agreed to sponsor two academic excellence scholarships, The Peter James Scholarship, to be awarded to the best first and best second year undergraduate students on the BA (Hons) English Language and Literature degree courses for the academic year 2008-09. Geoff Duffield, Group Sales and Marketing Manager for Pan Macmillan, said: "Pan Macmillan is delighted to be sponsoring the Peter James scholarships at the University of Brighton.

"Our sponsorship brings together two great Brighton institutions, both of which are at the heart of the community."

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, David House, said: "We are delighted and grateful to Pan Macmillan for supporting the university in this way. "We are strongly committed to our work in English language and literature and these scholarships, I am sure, will enhance our reputation and provide an incentive and reward to students of excellence."

ThrillerFest

posted by Peter James @ 10:17 AM   10 Comments

Those of you following me on Twitter will know I've just been in NY - and that I took my real life Roy Grace - Retired Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Gaylor - with me. I joke that most authors carry their characters inside their head, whereas I travel around with mine!!

Although they don't look similar and Dave's wife is very much at home and not missing, Roy Grace's career is to a large extend modelled on Dave's - although he hasn't yet reached the same lofty heights of Dave's last rank! But just like Roy, Dave Gaylor was very involved with cold cases during his career, and now runs the Cold Case team of Sussex CID.

We spent Monday and Tuesday out with two NYPD cops, who could not be more different in character, yet who have been close friends and buddies for very many years, Pat Lanigan and Dennis Bootle. (My two NYPD characters in Dead Man's Footsteps) were based on them. Pat at 6'3" is a true gentle giant, a former stevedore turned tough street cop, he is inside a kind-hearted, liberal, and a full-on Obama supporter.

Dennis at 5'7" had to learn how to use his brain and blend that with Martial Arts. When he first became a NYPD officer it was at a time when people were killing cops in NY on a regular basis. He told me as a seventh Dan black belt he is a legend in the NYPD after an incident, late one night in Washington Square: Single crewed he confronted by six knife-wielding thugs. He radioed for backup, but by the time the backup arrived, four of the men were writhing on the ground in agony with broken legs, a fifth was in an arm lock, screaming in pain and the sixth had run off. The one thing the unlikely pair share is the hunt for criminals and bringing them to justice. They started working together in the Warrant Squad, learning new ways to handle the streets. Their work included investigating homicides, armed robberies, rapes, assaults, before they moved into the Cold Case Squad. In Dennis's own words "I played the tough guy and Paddy the good guy. Classic good cop-bad-cop that is often a devastatingly effective formula in any force." Jokingly he said to me that when he moved house, recently, "It took them one day to move my furniture and three to move my ammunition!

One of my reasons for being in NY was to attend the annual Thrillerfest (no, nothing to do with Michael Jackson) - the convention of the terrific International Thriller Writers organization and to attend their Banquet and Awards ceremony - which is one of the most glittering publishing occasions I've ever attended. It was held in the fabulous Cipriani restaurant in Manhattan and attended by 450 people, mostly thriller writers.

English author Tom Rob Smith (who apparently gets upset if his books are called crime novels - because apparently they are literary novels) collected the Best First Novel prize, turning up in a most peculiar white snakeskin leather jacket and sparkly shoes. Jeffery Deaver, who is a really nice guy, scooped the Thriller Of The Year award, beating himself (he was nominated for two books) and Harlen Coben among others. Coben was also there, along with Karin Slaughter who is great fun, our homegrown David Hewson, and our homegrown but exported Lee Child, Sandra Brown, David Morrell, Lisa Gardner, Jim Rollins, Robin Cook, Clive Cussler, and one of my personal favourites, Thomas H Cook (not to be confused with the travel agent!)

Coming back to the UK was something of a let down, as I then went straight to the Crime Writer Association awards in Piccadilly, where I was shortlisted for the Dagger In The Library award - and did not win. Still, I'm up for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year the winner of which will be announced in Harrogate on Thursday evening. Watch out for me. I'll probably be the one with the Happy Loser Smile yet again!!!!!

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